TODAY is the final day to register to vote in the 2015 general and district elections.

Voters can visit their local town council offices or register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

It is now too late to post a paper registration form.

New applications to vote by post must be made by 5.00pm, Tuesday, April 21.

New applications to vote by proxy - allowing a friend to vote in your absence - must be made by 5pm on Tuesday, April 28.

Those who have recently moved into the district will need to register.

Anyone who has recently moved house within the district will need to re-register.

For more information see www.cotswold.gov.uk/about-the-council/elections/current-future-elections.

The Electoral Commission reports that 1.7 million applications to register to vote have been made in the past five weeks, most of them online.

Of these, almost 470,000 online applications came from 16 to 24-year-olds.

However, Electoral Commission research suggests there are as many as 7.5 million unregistered voters.

Acting returning officer Nigel Adams said: "Your vote matters and this is your opportunity to influence what happens in your locality, in the district and also at Westminster; and you probably won’t get another chance to vote for 4-5 years.


"Registering is not just about being able to vote. For example, if you apply for credit, the lender will normally use the electoral register to check your name and address; and if you are not on the register, your application might be refused."